Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu, who upended Romanian presidential race, withdraws from politics

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Calin Georgescu, the controversial populist whose bid for Romania’s presidency last year resulted in the annulment of an election in the European Union and NATO member country, announced he is stepping away from political life.

Georgescu upended Romania’s political landscape last November when he ran as an independent and unexpectedly surged to frontrunner in the first round of the presidential election, going from an obscure candidate to beating the incumbent prime minister.

“I choose to be a passive observer of public and social life,” the 63-year-old said in a video posted online late Monday. “I choose to remain outside any political party structure … I am not affiliated with any political group in any way.”

Despite denying any wrongdoing, Georgescu was barred from the tense election rerun held in May, won by pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan, who was officially sworn in on Monday. Dan, a mathematician and former Bucharest mayor, beat the hard-right nationalist George Simion, who became Georgescu’s nominal successor.

Georgescu said he made his decision to take a step back following the conclusion of the presidential race, which for him indicated “the sovereignist movement has come to a close.”

“Even though this political chapter has ended, I am convinced that the values and ideals we fought for together remain steadfast,” he said. “My dear ones, I have always said that we would make history, not politics.”

The outcome of Georgescu’s success in last year’s chaotic election cycle sent shockwaves through Romania’s political establishment. It also left many observers wondering how most local surveys had put him behind at least five other candidates.

Despite what appeared to be a sprawling social media campaign promoting him, Georgescu had declared zero campaign spending. A top Romanian court then made the unprecedented move to annul the election after allegations emerged of electoral violations and Russian interference.

He sparked controversy in the past for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes. He has also previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and has questioned Ukraine’s statehood, but says he is not pro-Russian.

In February, prosecutors opened criminal proceedings against Georgescu, accusing him of incitement to undermine the constitutional order, election campaign funding abuses, and founding or supporting fascist, racist, xenophobic, or antisemitic organizations, among other charges.

On Tuesday, Georgescu attended a hearing at a prosecutor’s office in Bucharest, which said it's extending the criminal investigation against him due to remarks he made on primetime television earlier in May, which could allegedly be interpreted by the public as supporting ideas linked to fascist legionnaire figures from the 1930s and 1940s.

Once a member of Simion’s hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, Georgescu left the party in 2022 after a period of infighting. He was accused by colleagues of being pro-Russian and critical of NATO, the U.S.-led military alliance to which Romania belongs.

After Romania’s decision to cancel the election last year, Georgescu became a cause célèbre among nationalists, with support coming from figures such as U.S. Vice President JD Vance and tech billionaire Elon Musk — who both criticized Romania for annulling the vote.

Georgescu has argued the election was “canceled illegally and unconstitutionally,” and after he was barred from the May rerun, he accused the authorities of “inventing evidence to justify the theft” of the elections.

Earlier this year, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bucharest in a show of support for Georgescu, who cemented his status as a persecuted anti-system candidate, railing against a corrupt political class.

“I deeply understand what many of you have gone through: you suffered, you were harassed, humiliated, wronged, and marginalized,” Georgescu said Monday, adding he might return to politics “if a serious opportunity arises that could bring real benefits to Romania and the Romanian people.”

Supporters of Calin Georgescu, the winner of the first round of last year's annulled election, chant slogans during his appearance at a prosecutor's office in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Supporters of Calin Georgescu, the winner of the first round of last year's annulled election, chant slogans during his appearance at a prosecutor's office in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Calin Georgescu, the winner of the first round of last year's annulled election, leaves a prosecutor's office in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Calin Georgescu, the winner of the first round of last year's annulled election, arrives at a prosecutor's office in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Calin Georgescu, the winner of the first round of last year's annulled election, arrives at a prosecutor's office in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Romanian President elect Nicusor Dan, front center, stands at the Constitutional Court during the ceremony for validation of his presidential mandate, after winning the country's presidential election redo in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Calin Georgescu, winner of the first round of last year's annulled election, arrives at a polling station in the second round of the country's presidential election redo in Mogosoaia, Romania, Sunday, May 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's photo portrait display at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has had references to his two impeachments removed, the latest apparent change at the collection of museums he has accused of bias as he asserts his influence over how official presentations document U.S. history.

The wall text, which summarized Trump's first presidency and noted his 2024 comeback victory, was part of the museum's “American Presidents” exhibition. The description had been placed alongside a photograph of Trump taken during his first term. Now, a different photo appears without any accompanying text block, though the text was available online. Trump was the only president whose display in the gallery, as seen Sunday, did not include any extended text.

The White House did not say whether it sought any changes. Nor did a Smithsonian statement in response to Associated Press questions. But Trump ordered in August that Smithsonian officials review all exhibits before the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. The Republican administration said the effort would “ensure alignment with the president’s directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”

Trump's original “portrait label," as the Smithsonian calls it, notes Trump's Supreme Court nominations and his administration's development of COVID-19 vaccines. That section concludes: “Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials.”

Then the text continues: “After losing to Joe Biden in 2020, Trump mounted a historic comeback in the 2024 election. He is the only president aside from Grover Cleveland (1837– 1908) to have won a nonconsecutive second term.”

Asked about the display, White House spokesman Davis Ingle celebrated the new photograph, which shows Trump, brow furrowed, leaning over his Oval Office desk. Ingle said it ensures Trump's “unmatched aura ... will be felt throughout the halls of the National Portrait Gallery.”

The portrait was taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok, who is credited in the display that includes medallions noting Trump is the 45th and 47th president. Similar numerical medallions appear alongside other presidents' painted portraits that also include the more extended biographical summaries such as what had been part of Trump's display.

Sitting presidents are represented by photographs until their official paintings are commissioned and completed.

Ingle did not answer questions about whether Trump or a White House aide, on his behalf, asked for anything related to the portrait label.

The gallery said in a statement that it had previously rotated two photographs of Trump from its collection before putting up Torok's work.

“The museum is beginning its planned update of the America’s Presidents gallery which will undergo a larger refresh this Spring,” the gallery statement said. “For some new exhibitions and displays, the museum has been exploring quotes or tombstone labels, which provide only general information, such as the artist’s name.”

For now, references to Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton being impeached in 1868 and 1998, respectively, remain as part of their portrait labels, as does President Richard Nixon's 1974 resignation as a result of the Watergate scandal.

And, the gallery statement noted, “The history of Presidential impeachments continues to be represented in our museums, including the National Museum of American History.”

Trump has made clear his intentions to shape how the federal government documents U.S. history and culture. He has offered an especially harsh assessment of how the Smithsonian and other museums have featured chattel slavery as a seminal variable in the nation's development but also taken steps to reshape how he and his contemporary rivals are depicted.

In the months before his order for a Smithsonian review, he fired the head archivist of the National Archives and said he was firing the National Portrait Gallery's director, Kim Sajet, as part of his overhaul. Sajet maintained the backing of the Smithsonian's governing board, but she ultimately resigned.

At the White House, Trump has designed a notably partisan and subjective “Presidential Walk of Fame” featuring gilded photographs of himself and his predecessors — with the exception of Biden, who is represented by an autopen — along with plaques describing their presidencies.

The White House said at the time that Trump himself was a primary author of the plaques. Notably, Trump's two plaques praise the 45th and 47th president as a historically successful figure while those under Biden's autopen stand-in describe the 46th executive as “by far, the worst President in American History” who “brought our Nation to the brink of destruction.”

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

People react to a photograph of President Donald Trump on display at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery's "American Presidents" exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Visitors to the National Portrait Gallery walk past the portrait of President Donald Trump, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Visitors stop to look at a photograph of President Donald Trump and a short plaque next to it are on display at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery's "American Presidents" exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

A photograph of President Donald Trump and a short plaque next to it are on display at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery's "American Presidents" exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo/Anna Johnson)

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)